WE NEED RAIN: Today is the 29th consecutive day with no measurable rain in Birmingham, and drought conditions continue. The good news is that some rain is likely here before the end of the week.

RECORD HIGHS POSSIBLE: We will be on a big roller coaster with temperatures this week. We are generally in the mid 80s today, and we are forecasting upper 80s tomorrow and Wednesday. A few spots could very well hit 90 degrees. Here is a look at record highs for Birmingham:

• Oct. 18 — 86 (1947)
• Oct. 19 — 88 (1938)

The sky will stay mostly sunny tomorrow. A few scattered clouds will be around Wednesday, and we will mention the chance of isolated afternoon showers and storms, mainly over the northern third of the state (north of Birmingham).

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: A cold front will finally bring some rain to Alabama later this week. The new run of the GFS is a little faster, suggesting the main window for rain will come from about 9 p.m. Thursday through noon Friday. Some thunder is possible, but no severe weather is expected. This won’t be a “drought buster” by any means, but rain amounts of around one-half inch are likely.

And the weather turns sharply cooler Friday, with a high only in the mid 60s, about 10 degrees below average for mid October in Alabama.

THE WEEKEND: Some fine fall weather. Sunny, cool days and clear, chilly nights. The high Saturday will be in the upper 60s, followed by low to mid 70s Sunday. Morning lows will be down in the 40s.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For high school games Friday night, it now looks like the sky will be mostly clear, and temperatures will be cool, falling through the 50s. You will need a jacket this week.

Alabama will host Texas A&M Saturday afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium (2:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be sunny; 67 degrees at kickoff, falling into the upper 50s by the final whistle.

Auburn hosts Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday evening (5 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be clear, with temperatures falling from near 70 degrees at kickoff into the upper 60s by the end of the game.

RACE WEEKEND AT TALLADEGA: Rain is a good possibility Friday morning, but the latest guidance now suggests the rain should be over by early afternoon. The day will be much cooler, with a high in the 60s. Expect a bright, sunny sky Saturday and Sunday with fantastic temperatures; the high Saturday will be close to 68, followed by a high of 73 Sunday. Morning lows at the Superspeedway will be in the 40s over the weekend.

NEXT WEEK: For now the weather looks dry and pleasant for much of the week with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s, right at seasonal averages for late October in Alabama.

AT THE BEACH: Sunny days, fair nights through Thursday from Panama City Beach to Gulf Shores, with highs in the 80s. Showers and storms are likely Friday, and the weekend looks dry and cooler, with highs dropping into the 70s. See a detailed Gulf Coast forecast here.

TROPICS: Hurricane Nicole should become post-tropical in the North Atlantic over the next 24 hours, and a disturbance east of the Bahamas could show some slow development in coming days, but odds are this won’t affect the U.S.

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